1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rotating hydrotherapy jets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various hydrotherapy jets have been developed in the past, for use in spas, hot tubs and bathtubs, that discharge an aerated stream of water in a rotating pattern. Such jets have been found to produce a pleasing massaging effect for many users, and have become quite popular. Representative rotating jets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,763,367, 4,715,071, 4,692,950, 4,523,340, 4,339,833, 4,220,145 and 3,868,949. B & S Plastics, Inc., the assignee of the present invention, has also produced rotating jets designated as Model Nos. 213-1260, 213-1270, 213-2760 and 213-3760.
The prior rotating jets generally employ either a long discharge tube with an in-line inlet that receives a jet flow from a venturi nozzle and a remote outlet that is off-axis and follows a track around an outlet plate, or a rotating discharge plug that includes an angled jet discharge conduit and is held in place a retaining pin at its forward end.
Such designs require additional parts for the rotation feature that obstruct or restrict the output flow from the jet, and also present an appreciable resistance to rotation that further reduces the output rate. In addition, they cannot be switched between rotating and non-rotating modes, and neither the angle at which the water/air flow is injected into the spa or the rotational speed can be adjusted. These types of adjustment features would be highly desirable, but are incompatible with existing designs.